1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a slipform paver having a chassis able to be adjusted in the heightwise direction and having a mounting unit arranged on the chassis for fastening on an arrangement for molding flowable material. As well as this, the invention also relates to a slipform paver having an arrangement for molding flowable material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With known slipform pavers, parts of a structure can be produced continuously from a flowable material and in particular from concrete. The known slipform pavers have an arrangement in which the flowable material is formed to the desired shape. An arrangement of this kind for molding the flowable material is also referred to as a concrete mold. For parts of structures of different cross-sections to be produced, the concrete molds have to be changed over. The known slipform pavers therefore have a mounting unit to which concrete molds of different types can be fastened.
The chassis of the known slipform pavers is connected to track-laying running gear units via lifting columns. The chassis of the paver can be adjusted in the heightwise direction by withdrawing and extending the lifting columns. When this is done, the chassis of the paver can be raised or lowered on the side which is on the right or left in the direction of operation or can be raised or lowered at the end which is at the front or rear in the direction of operation. Because the concrete mold is solidly connected to the chassis of the paver, the orientation of the chassis of the paver also determines the orientation of the concrete mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,825 describes a slipform paver having a concrete mold, whose chassis can be adjusted in the heightwise direction on lifting columns.
Known slipform pavers allow parts of a structure whose orientation varies continuously along their length to be produced. The outline or cross-section of the parts of a structure also varies continuously along their length if it is assumed that the ground on which the part of a structure is to be laid is level. With known slipform pavers, it is for example possible to produce road gutters which have amongst other things an inner face adjacent the surface of the road and whose inclination varies continuously along the road. In the region of the drainage outlets, the inner face lies in the plane of the road whereas between the drainage outlets the face is inclined inwards relative to the road. The face may be at its greatest inclination halfway between the drainage outlets.
To produce road gutters whose orientation varies continuously, it is necessary for the orientation of the chassis of the slipform paver to be varied continuously while the paver is advancing. While the slipform paver is moving along a reference, such for example as along a string line, the lifting columns on the left and right in the direction of operation are continuously extended or withdrawn to tilt the concrete mold to the desired position. It is a disadvantage that, due to the relatively long distance from the lifting columns, even relatively small inclinations of the concrete mold call for relatively large tilting movement of the chassis of the paver. The continuous tilting of the chassis of the paver while being used in operation not only makes the conditions under which the driver of the paver is working more difficult but also results in unnecessary wear on the lifting columns as they perform the relatively large lifting movements. What is more, the tilting movements of the chassis of the paver result in an unwanted sloping position for the conveyor belt of the feeding arrangement of the slipform paver for charging the concrete mold with concrete.